Madrid - Saba:
The Spanish Football Federation has imposed a six-match ban on Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger for his behavior toward the referee in last Saturday's El Clásico against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
Rüdiger became extremely agitated during Real Madrid's 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona. The German international defender was sent off after being substituted for throwing an object at the referee and angrily protesting a foul on teammate Kylian Mbappé before the final whistle.
Referee Ricardo de Burgos wrote in his report, "I sent off Rüdiger for throwing an object from the technical area. It didn't hit me." Reports indicated that the defender threw an ice cube at the referee.
The German defender's actions sparked condemnation in Spain and Germany, with German national team sporting director Rudi Völler stating that the Real Madrid player "must change" and that this type of incident should never happen again.
For his part, Rüdiger apologized on social media on Sunday for his actions during the Copa del Rey final, saying, "There is absolutely no excuse for my behavior. Before the final whistle, I made a mistake. I apologize again to the referee and to everyone I let down."
According to a report published by the Spanish Football Federation, Real Madrid right-back Lucas Vázquez, who was also sent off against Barcelona, was suspended for two matches, serving his suspension only in the cup competition. Unlike Rüdiger, who will be unavailable for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee cartilage.
Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee overturned the red card shown to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham for protesting, considering there was no footage demonstrating an "aggressive attitude" toward the referee.
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